1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an advantageous new field of optical devices and, more particularly, to optical devices based on resonant leaky modes in periodically modulated films.
2. Discussion of Background Art
The field of thin-film optics is a mature area of optical technology. There are numerous companies and/or industries producing optical filters and devices of a great variety throughout the world. These devices typically consist of homogeneous layers deposited with precise thicknesses and materials parameters often under vacuum. Examples of currently marketed devices utilizing multilayered arrangements include, but are not limited to, laser mirrors, polarizers, antireflection film systems, bandpass filters, bandstop filters, edge filters, lowpass filters, high-pass filters, phase plates, tunable optical devices and/or filters, sensors, modulators, polarization control devices, hyper-spectral arrays, sensor arrays, beam splitters, etc.
A significant drawback associated with current optical devices is that a large number of layers, e.g., 10-200, are often needed to fashion the spectral and angular properties required for a particular application. These optical devices, which utilize homogeneous layer stacks, operate on the basis of multiple reflections between the interfaces incorporated in a layer stack. Thus, the amount and cost of material required to effectuate a desired optical effect can be significant. In addition, the adhesion difficulties associated with forming the multilayered stacks can cause problems. Further, there are interface scattering losses inherently associated with multilayered arrangements.
The patent literature reflects previous developments involving optical devices. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,216,680 to Magnusson et al. describes a guided-mode resonance filter which can be used as an optical filter with narrow line width and as an efficient optical switch. Diffraction efficiencies and passband frequencies are calculated based on guided-mode resonance properties of periodic dielectric structures in a waveguide geometry. The guided-mode resonance filter preferably includes means for changing various parameters within the grating so as to change passband frequencies in response thereto. The disclosed diffraction grating could be supported by a semiconductor substrate adjacent to a semiconductor laser for fine-tuning the output of the semiconductor laser. The diffraction grating between thin-film layers of the Magnusson '680 patent can be designed so as to enhance the thin-film performance characteristics of the structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,300 to Magnusson et al. discloses ideal or near ideal filters for reflecting or transmitting electromagnetic waves having a wavelength range of approximately 100 nm to 10 cm. The disclosed filters combine a dielectric multilayer structure with a resonant waveguide grating and are valid for both TE and TM polarized waves. High efficiency, arbitrarily narrow band, polarized filters with low sidebands over extended wavelength ranges can be obtained according to the teachings of the Magnusson '300 patent. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 6,154,480 to Magnusson et al. discloses vertical-cavity lasers (VCLs) fabricated without Bragg mirrors by replacing them with diffractive (guided-mode resonance or GMR) mirrors with much fewer layers, e.g., two or three layers. When incorporated in VCLs, the GMR mirrors yield single-mode, narrow-line, highly-polarized output light.
Notwithstanding that which is presently known with respect to optical devices and optical device-related technologies, a need remains for optical devices and optical device-related technologies that facilitate greater optical design and fabrication flexibility. In addition, a need remains for optical devices and optical device-related technologies that facilitate shaping of the reflection and transmission spectra of optical devices. These and other needs are met by the systems and methods disclosed herein. In addition, the disclosed systems and methods address numerous problems and shortcomings commonly associated with known optical devices and optical device-related technologies, thereby providing means for achieving greater optical design flexibility and effectiveness.